You Have 3 Seconds. Get My Attention.

We scroll through our emails. We scroll through our Facebook feed. We scroll through today’s news, tweets, pins, ads, pics and vids. It’s true: we’re all darn-near drowning in a sea of soundbites and thumbnails and headline after headline, page after page of information and ideas, until… …suddenly, you stop scrolling. You hit that headline, that image, that quote that really speaks to YOU. You’re drawn in to this piece of content and before you know it, you’ve consumed an entire blog post. You visit the website, hungry for more information that speaks not only your needs, but to your mind. It’s the information, the entertainment you want right now, and it’s created in a format and with a structure that makes your brain say, YES! But how many gems did you whip right on past? Think about it. There may have been 30 articles you scrolled by without a second thought. Why? Because:

nothing in particular stood out to you, and

nothing in particular spoke to you.

Imagine how much of YOUR company’s marketing and advertising content might be lost out there, floating around aimlessly, completely missed by your customers because it didn’t quickly grab anyone’s attention. And hey, that content might be awesome! But if no one is engaging, it’s not doing you any good.

Time: You Don’t Have Any

Let’s get real here. You likely have less than 3 seconds to really stand out and gain that precious click. Your attention grabber has got to pull in your reader in a snap. Get that reader to your website, and you’re well on your way to a sale. (That is, if your website is better than “good enough.”) You need content. Great content. But great content is nothing without a hook. Getting the attention of your potential and current customers through the addition of great website and social content is one component to the first stage of Growth Cycle Marketing: Awareness. You may have created The Best Video Ever on the Entire Internet, but unless you’re getting people to push play, it’s just going to sit there: lonely, unwatched and unloved.

First, Get in Their Shoes

Selling baby diapers looks a whole lot different than selling adult diapers. So WHO are your customers? Understand who you’re marketing to and what they like. Be specific. Write it down. What motivates that customer to buy? Understanding your target audience is crucial to strategically planning your content production. Everything about how you frame your content and how you plan to grab attention is rooted in first discovering your buyer’s interests and state of mind. Once you know who you’re after, it’s time to grab ‘em.

5 Ways to Get Attention—FAST

Get Visual. Visually appealing content is more clickable. Period. Invest in creating interesting images that are unique, attract attention, and that showcase your brand. Never approve a text-only blog post or advertisement. Today, anything without an image is boooooring.

Quick & Catchy Wins the Race. Write short, snappy headlines that are easy to read at a glance. Try alliteration. Stick to only a handful of words. Use a great quote or song lyric that appeals to your target audience.

This Time, It’s Personal. Personalize your content to really draw in your audience. Identifying different market segments and tailoring content accordingly offers you even more opportunities to extend your reach.

Interactive Content is BIG Right Now. Seems like everyone loves a quick quiz—anything from What Should You Plant in Your Garden Come Spring? to What Superhero are You? seems to pull in the crowd these days. If you sell seeds or Halloween costumes, you’ve just created a great way to direct more traffic to your website.

Be Trendy. Start with Google Trends to find out what people are talking about online. Ride the wave of the trend by pulling together your own unique content on the subject. Slap on an irresistible headline and you’re good to go!

Bonus Tip: Work Backward. Grab your team and sit down to brainstorm a bunch of catchy titles, headlines, lyrics, quotes, and even images that you know your potential customers will definitely respond to. What content can you create from that little bite that’s sure to entice your audience to sit down for dinner? Getting your audience’s attention is key in creating Awareness of your business and your brand, not to mention those great products and services you offer. Get their attention now to begin cultivating an ongoing positive relationship that keeps them coming back again and again!